International Symposium: 'Antonio Caldara (1670-1736) and the Performance of Power'

Antonio Caldara (1670-1736) was one of the pre-eminent composers of the late Baroque. Born in Venice, he was court composer to the Duke of Mantua, to Prince Ruspoli in Rome, and finally to Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI in Vienna. As famous, respected and influential in his own time as contemporaries such as J.S. Bach, Handel and Vivaldi, he has been neglected in the historiography of the period, partly because his service as a court musician limited the dissemination of his works but also because his role as court musician has been read as a marker of conventionality, in contrast with the narratives of innovation which have dominated discourse about his contemporaries.

This symposium brings together leading international scholars to explore Caldara's expertise and creativity and his decisive contribution as a composer and rhetorical craftsman within the context of the Baroque court. The time is now ripe for Caldara's re-evaluation as a major creative force in late Baroque culture. The symposium is preceded by the Sydney Conservatorium of Music's prestigious Alfred Hook Lecture, to be given by Professor Harry White, on The Sovereign Ghost: Antonio Caldara and the Eclipses of Cultural History.

This event will be streamed online. Please register via the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Box Office to receieve the streaming link.

Friday 23 September 2022

• Session 1: 4:00pm-5:40pm
• Coffee break: 5:40-6:00pm
• Session 2: 6:00-7:00pm

Saturday 24 September 2022

• Session 1: 3:00-4:40pm
• Coffee break: 4:40-5:00pm
• Session 2: 5:00-6:30pm

All times are Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST)